Month: October 2016

Mark Twain’s Huck Finn is a classic American novel, Written in 1885, it is a book that students have read year in and year out in high school literature classes. The language used in the book, especially when the slave Jim is involved has become a contentious issue both in the past and now when communities have called for the banning of the book (see here). Issues of whether to use the N-word have arisen repeatedly. And it is so now as Kristen Krauss, an 11th grade English teacher goes over the initial chapters of the book in a 45-minute lesson I observed on October 10, 2016.

Mark Twain’s Huck Finn is a classic American novel, Written in 1885, it is a book that students have read year in and year out in high school literature classes. The language used in the book, especially when the slave Jim is involved has become a contentious issue both in the past and now when communities have called for the banning of the book (see here). Issues of whether to use the N-word have arisen repeatedly. And it is so now as Kristen Krauss, an 11th grade English teacher goes over the initial chapters of the book in a 45-minute lesson I observed on October 10, 2016.

After months of planning, we got researchED DC in the books yesterday. And yes, it was again unforgettable on all the usual scores: I was able to meet and chat with people I’ve looked up to for years, see them speak about their work & ideas, connect with colleagues from around the world I’d previously known only virtually, laugh my ass off near-continually, etc., etc., etc. Though being a conference organizer for rED DC provided a whole new view, this may have been my favorite researchED experience yet — really saying something, of course, based on my overflowing appreciation of the org….

After months of planning, we got researchED DC in the books yesterday. And yes, it was again unforgettable on all the usual scores: I was able to meet and chat with people I’ve looked up to for years, see them speak about their work & ideas, connect with colleagues from around the world I’d previously known only virtually, laugh my ass off near-continually, etc., etc., etc. Though being a conference organizer for rED DC provided a whole new view, this may have been my favorite researchED experience yet — really saying something, of course, based on my overflowing appreciation of the org….

Wanted to blog myself about this new German study, but Greg beat me to it. So a reblog is due.

Filling the pail

We all want to develop digital learners, right? Over the last twenty years, the explosion in online content and the ability to quickly find the answers to key questions has been nothing short of revolutionary. As teachers, we seek to prepare our students to make the most of these advances. But what is the best way to do this?

On answer is to ditch elements of the traditional curriculum. If you can look up facts quickly then why commit them to memory? Instead, we should…